Democracy

“democracy is of the people, by the people, and for the people.” – Lincoln

Democracy is destroyed by the powerful with politicians fooling the people.

I am not sure if anyone has said the above before. If not, I lay claim to it.

Bell tolls for all

‘You, too, have come where the dim tides are hurled
Upon the wharves of sorrow, and heard ring
The bell that calls us on; the sweet far thing.’ —W.B. Yeats

Battlefields were gone long ago, bones turned to dust
Thousands perished here feeding conquerors’ power lust

They were young once, full of ambitions and dreams
Life cut short in distant lands amid pain and screams

Call of duty, false pride or manipulated by the powerful
They came in hordes, primed to kill, but dying like fools

Promises unfulfilled, broken hearts’ lonely cries unheard
Silent cries crush the hearts of myriad orphans left behind

Crumpled statues litter the landscape, those who gave the war calls
Take heart lost ones, when the dust settles, the bell tolls for all

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This poem is in response to Jane Dougherty’s A Month (November) with Yeats Challenge day Fifteen

Peace Has Vanished ( a Ghazal)

I had written this poem ( Ghazal ) a few weeks back in my mother tongue, Assamese, regarding the unrest going on in many parts of the world.  I gave a finishing touch today and translated it to English.  This is not a literal translation. It is difficult to do a word by word translation and retain the ghazal format.  I am including both Assamese ( first) and the English version here.

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অশান্তি কিয়

সকলোতে আজি শুনো হাঁহাকাৰ,  পৃথিৱীত ইমান অশান্তি কিয়
প্ৰাচুৰ্য্যৰ মাজত শুনো আৰ্তনাদ, ৰাইজৰ মনত অশান্তি কিয়

বিজ্ঞানৰ আজি জয় জয়াকাৰ, পৰাক্ৰমীৰ শুনো উন্মাদ হুঙ্কাৰ
নৈতিকতাৰ পতন দেখি নিতেনিত, ৰাইজৰ নহব অশান্তি কিয়

চাৰিওদিশে দেখোঁ বাজে ৰণডংকা, জনতাৰ মনত কিহৰ আশঙ্কা
অজান আতংকবাদীৰ মোক্ষম আঘাট, বুজিছানে আজি অশান্তি কিয়

অন্তৰত জ্বলে দুঃখৰ অনল, চৌদিশে দেখোঁ  জ্বলে দাবানল
সৰ্বহাৰাৰ বিচাৰ নহল উচিত, নহলেনো আজি অশান্তি কিয়

বৃথা প্ৰলোভনত মতলীয়া ৰাইজ, বৈষম্যৰ জয়ধ্বনিত সদা ব্যস্ত
ধৰ্মান্ধতাৰ উন্মাদনাত বিবেক নষ্ট, পৃথিৱীত নহব অশান্তি কিয়

Peace Has Vanished

Lament everywhere ring out loud and clear, where peace has vanished
Amidst all the unfathomable wealth, people query why peace has vanished

Scientific truth questioned and throttled by maniac utterances of the powerful
Values challenged, morality in perpetual comma, people’s peace has vanished

Constant cacophony of drums of war, scared dejected populace milling around
Unknown terrorists’ deadly  strikes, death and mutilation, our peace has vanished

Aching hearts, smoldering pain, world engulfed by raging fires of destruction
Blind justice disenfranchises destitute, division rules, why question peace has vanished

False prophets of power, deluded blind followers, fomenting and heralding division
Fanatics, corrupted and hijacked by religion, search where peace has vanished

 

 

It’s for man to stand up and fight

Center of the universe, the flat earth
Now just the third rock from the sun
Circling  a lesser star, a miniscule dot